PMID: 28783685

Authors:

Ellisdon AM, Nold-Petry CA, D'Andrea L, Cho SX, Lao JC, Rudloff I, Ngo D, Lo CY, Soares da Costa TP, Perugini MA, Conroy PJ, Whisstock JC, Nold MF

Title:

Homodimerization attenuates the anti-inflammatory activity of interleukin-37.

Journal:

Sci Immunol. 2017 Feb 10;2(8). pii: eaaj1548. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aaj1548.

Abstract:

Dysregulation of the inflammatory response underlies numerous diseases. Although most interleukin-1 family cytokines are proinflammatory, human interleukin-37 (IL-37) is a powerful, broad-spectrum inhibitor of inflammation and immunity. We determined the crystal structure of IL-37 to establish the anti-inflammatory mechanism of this key cytokine in view of developing IL-37-based therapies. We found that two beta-trefoil fold IL-37 molecules form a head-to-head dimer that is stable in solution. IL-37 variants mutated to convert the cytokine into an obligate monomer were up to 13-fold more effective than the dimer in suppressing proinflammatory events both in primary human blood cells and in vivo in murine endotoxic shock. Therapeutic exploitation of the powerful anti-inflammatory properties of monomeric IL-37 may prove beneficial in treating a wide range of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.